Calfire has awarded a $117,000 grant to the San Benito Fire Safe Council for prevention efforts.
The council reeived the grant in early June and will use it for chipping and to extend the shaded fuel break along San Juan Canyon Road.
According to the full announcement:
In early June, San Benito Fire Safe Council (www.sbfsc.org) received a grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for $117,150.00. The money will be used to conduct 4 weeks of chipping (early and late summer 2015 and 2016) in San Juan Canyon and to extend the shaded fuel break along San Juan Canyon Road approximately 2 ½ miles.
The Community Foundation for San Benito County is the fiscal sponsor for the Fire Safe Council and will assist with administration of the grant. The Fire Prevention Grant Program is funded by the State Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund. This is the pool of money generated from fees that each homeowner within the State Responsibility Areas throughout California began paying a couple of years ago. The San Benito Fire Safe Council is pleased to be able to bring some of those funds back in to our area to increase fire safety in one of the highest fire hazard areas in our county.
The Fire Safe Council began the shaded fuel break on San Juan Canyon Road in spring 2014 with a donation of 800 hours of California Conservation Corps crew time to clear the highest priority segments. Local fire crews provided traffic control and county public works loaned a chipper to the project.
In fall 2014, the San Benito Fire Safe Council received $96,487 from Pacific Gas and Electric’s Emergency Drought Response – Fuel Reduction Program. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council provided administrative assistance on this project. Quality Tree Care cleared approximately 14 acres of understory vegetation and wood along 2.5 miles of San Juan Canyon Road.
The Fire Safe Council is very grateful to have been selected for this current CAL FIRE grant so that it can continue the shaded fuel break work that started last year. This is a collaborative effort by many public and private organizations as well as individuals.
For information, contact the Fire Safe Council by calling or texting the secretary at 831-224-5059.
